Lagerstroemia Plant Named &#39;Piilag B2&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘PIILAG B2’, characterized by its compact, rounded intermediate growth habit, reddish purple new growth, cupped, lustrous dark green foliage in summer, clear pink flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIILAG B2’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonlyknown as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘PIILAG B2’. ‘PIILAG B2’ is grown primarily as an ornamental forlandscape use and for use as a potted plant.

‘PIILAG B2’ originated from open-pollinated seed of Lagerstroemia ‘GamadVI’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,161) growing in Watkinsville, Ga. Thecultivar ‘PIILAG B2’ originated in 2008 and was selected in a cultivatedenvironment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of thisopen-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit and foliageand flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG B2’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville,Ga. since 2009 has shown that all the unique features of this newLagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproducedtrue-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG B2’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘PIILAG B2’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PIILAG B2’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1.Compact, rounded intermediate growth habit; 2. Reddish purple newgrowth; 3. Cupped, lustrous dark green foliage in summer; 4. Clear pinkflowers; 5. Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B2’ differ from plants of the parent, ‘Gamad VI’,primarily in growth habit, foliage, flower color, and time of flowering.Plants of ‘Gamad VI’ have a compact, mounded growth habit, flattenedfoliage, and produce deep red and purple flowers in early summer,whereas plants of ‘PIILAG B2’ have an overall larger, compact, roundedintermediate growth habit, cupped foliage, and clear pink flowers inmid-summer.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B2’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘Gamad V’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 17,411), but differ in overall size, foliage color, andflower color. Plants of ‘PIILAG B2’ have a compact, rounded intermediategrowth habit, foliage that emerges reddish purple, and clear pinkflowers, whereas plants of ‘Gamad V’ have an overall smaller, dwarfgrowth habit, medium green new growth, and lighter pink flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIILAG B2’, showing thecolors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colorreproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a mature plant of ‘PIILAGB2’ in a container.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘PIILAG B2’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were approximately two years old and were grown in 11.8 Lcontainers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors aredescribed using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG B2’.    Parentage: Female, or seed, parent: Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad VI’ (U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 22,161). Male, or pollen parent: unknown    (open-pollinated). Propagation: terminal cuttings. Time to initiate    roots, summer: about 21 days at 32° C.-   Plant description:    -   -   Flowering shrub.—compact, rounded intermediate growth habit.            Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch            development.        -   Root description.—numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.        -   Plant size.—the original plant, now about five-years-old in            the ground, is about 137 cm high from the soil level to the            top of the inflorescences and about 137 cm wide. First year            stems have a diameter of about 2.5 mm. Shape: squarish.            Second year and older stems have a diameter of about 5 mm or            more. Shape: round.        -   Trunk diameter.—3.2 cm at the soil line. Color: N199B.        -   Internode length.—about 1.9 cm.        -   Strength.—flexible when young, easily broken once mature.        -   First year stem color (young).—179A. Color (woody): 200D.        -   Second year and older stem color.—N199B.        -   Bark.—exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year            stems.-   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,    imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: 178C. Size: about 2.5    mm in length and 1 mm in width.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length:            about 4.6 cm. Width: about 2.7 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex:            acuminate. Base: cuneate. Margin: entire.        -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—glabrous and glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—pinnate. Venation color of emerging            foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 179A. Venation color of            fully expanded foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 144A.        -   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower            surfaces).—179A. Color in fully expanded foliage (upper            surface): 147A. Color in fully expanded foliage (lower            surface): 146C.        -   Petiole length.—about 2 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm.            Petiole color (upper and lower surfaces): 144A. Pubescence:            none.-   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to    September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about    two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are    self-cleaning.    -   -   Inflorescence type.—panicle. Inflorescence length: about            10.2 cm. Inflorescence width: about 10 cm.        -   Peduncle.—about 8.5 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,            color is 179A, and no pubescence.        -   Individual flowers.—about 2.2 cm in height and 2.9 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 7 mm; Diameter: about 7 mm;            Color: 186B.        -   Pedicels.—about 7 mm in length, 179A in color, and no            pubescence.        -   Calyx.—about 7 mm in length, about 1 cm in diameter, 186B in            color, and no pubescence.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—usually 6 or 7 per flower.        -   Petal length.—about 1.5 cm.        -   Petal width.—about 1.2 cm.        -   Petal shape.—fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal            base: sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper            and lower surfaces): glabrous.        -   Petal color.—upper and lower surfaces are N66C.-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 25 to 30 short stamens clustered            in the center, about 7 mm long, filament color is 62D, and            anther color is 2B. The short stamens are surrounded by 6            longer stamens, about 1.3 cm long, filament color is 65A,            and anther color is 2B. The stamens are not pubescent.            Pollen: produced in moderate quantities and is 6A in color            on the short and long stamens.-   Pistils:    -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none.            Pistil length: about 1.7 cm in length. Stigma shape: round,            about 1 mm in diameter. Stigma color: 144C. Style color:            181D and about 1.4 cm in length. Ovary color: 8C and about 2            mm in diameter.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type/appearance.—six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal            capsule. Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 7 mm. Immature            color: 144A. Mature color: 200C. Each capsule contains many            seeds that are about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in            color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety    grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to    powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG B2’, asillustrated and described herein.